Paul Gandar, Founder of Stitch AI*, warns builders' merchants staff about the dangers of using personal messaging apps to talk to customers.

Builders' merchants across the UK are being warned of the growing compliance and operational risks posed by staff using personal messaging apps to communicate with customers. As response rates to phone calls and emails plummet, many branch sales and trade counter teams have turned to platforms like WhatsApp on their personal phones — but at what cost?

The moment a conversation happens on a personal messaging app, it becomes invisible to the business. It’s outside of any formal process, it’s a GDPR risk, and it’s impossible to manage at scale.

Across the country, trade counter staff have realised that their audience — tradespeople — simply don’t answer the phone like they used to. They’re busy, mobile, and always on the move. Emails, meanwhile, often sit unread in inboxes. In contrast, WhatsApp messages are read and replied to within minutes.

This shift in communication preference has led many staff to start using their own personal WhatsApp accounts to send quotes, confirm stock, and chase up orders — but this presents several critical problems.

Chats are in silos. No one else in the business can see the message history. If a staff member is on holiday or leaves the business, the conversation goes with them.

There’s no visibility or accountability. Managers have no insight into what’s being said, how promptly responses are being sent, or whether follow-ups are happening.

It’s a GDPR minefield. Customer data is now being stored and processed on personal devices, with no audit trail, no opt-ins, and no formal control.

If a customer ever issues a Subject Access Request, or if a device is lost or compromised, the business is exposed — and completely unprepared.

Some merchants have tried to solve this by giving staff work mobile phones. But this is, at best, a sticking plaster.

Even with a dedicated work phone, you still have the same problems. Chats are still in silos, there’s no central record, and the rest of the business has no visibility. Plus, a phone can’t easily plug into your CRM, your customer support tools, or allow multiple staff to collaborate on one customer conversation.

There’s also a customer experience gap. A tradesperson might want to message the business from a website or Google listing — just like clicking a phone number to call. But with personal or even work mobiles, that’s simply not possible.

The solution is not more phones — it’s the right platform.

The Official WhatsApp Business Platform — only available via API — enables merchants to use WhatsApp professionally, compliantly, and at scale. Instead of conversations being locked to individual phones, the API allows merchants to integrate WhatsApp into a shared, cloud-based messaging system where:

  • Multiple staff can access and manage conversations.
  • All chats are logged, secure, and GDPR compliant.
  • Customers can message the business from a WhatsApp icon on the website, just like making a call.
  • Managers have full visibility into response times, message quality, and customer satisfaction.

This isn’t the free WhatsApp or the small-business WhatsApp app. This is a platform built for business operations. You get shared inboxes, team collaboration, automation, templates, analytics — everything you need to use WhatsApp as a core customer service and sales tool.”

Because the Official WhatsApp Business Platform is API-only, businesses can’t just download an app and get started. They need to either build their own interface — which is costly and technically complex — or work with a Meta-recognised Tech Provider like Stitch AI to get up and running.

Stitch AI’s Business Messaging Suite is purpose-built for merchants, allowing trade counters and branch teams to use WhatsApp from their computers, share access across sales teams, and manage all messaging in one place. Everything is tracked, secured, and fully scalable — turning WhatsApp into a tool that works for the business, not around it.

Merchants using Stitch can also add a WhatsApp button to their websites, enabling tradespeople to instantly start a conversation from their mobile — often leading to faster orders and fewer missed sales.

Merchants can’t afford to turn a blind eye to this. If staff are already using WhatsApp to talk to customers — and many are — then the business has already lost control. It’s not just a risk to data compliance; it’s a risk to customer experience and operational efficiency.

By shifting to a structured, professional approach with the Official WhatsApp Business Platform, merchants can safeguard their data, improve customer responsiveness, and empower their sales teams — all while using the platform their customers actually want to engage with.

* Stitch AI is a Meta Tech Provider specialising in business messaging solutions for the Builders Merchant sector and other trade-focused industries.